Often it seems like people in the world of professional video speak a totally different language that relies heavily on slang for technical and creative concepts. Guilty as charged! As media professionals we do in fact have a unique vocabulary to what we do. A basic understanding of video terms helps business owners be informed consumers when contracting video services and be informed collaborators on a custom video project.

Take–a single continuously-recorded performance, shot or version of a scene with a particular camera setup; often, multiple takes are made of the same shot during filming, before the director approves the shot; in box-office terms, take also refers to the money a film’s release has made

Talking Head — A clip that shows just the head and shoulders of a person who is talking. This tight focus is often used in interview situations where the background is not as important as the talking subject. It is also convenient in a movie destined for the Web because the small amount of movement in a talking-head shot compresses well for the Internet.

Teleprompter –A magical piece of equipment that lets a person look directly at the camera lens (and thus at the video’s viewers) while they read a script. The advantage of a teleprompter is that it lets you script what you’ll say. If you have several short videos to make, a teleprompter is essential. There are no “ums”, no “ahs”, no losing your thought because you’re nervous. Teleprompters make for very smooth video, especially if the person using it has had a chance to practice so he or she doesn’t appear to be reading.

TV Spot— broadcast time slot set aside to be filled by either a commercial advertisement or a public service message

Transcode— To convert from one compression format to another (that is, from DV video from a camcorder to MPEG-2 for DVD). Preferably done intelligently to minimize loss of quality from repeated compression, and not requiring fully decompressing the input and then recompressing to the output.

Underscore— Music that provides emotional or atmospheric background to the primary dialog or narration onscreen.

Video Blogs are simply what their name states, blogging through the format of video.

Viral Video— “We must stop using “viral” as a noun. Viral is a result. It is what happens when a great video or campaign gets recognized, discussed, and passed around. You don’t make a viral video, you just make a video. And hope it goes viral.We put our ads up on YouTube all the time. Some of them get hundreds of thousands of views — but that doesn’t make them viral. Pretty much every music video from every pop artist today gets around a million views. That doesn’t make them viral, either. Something is viral if it has that special something that makes you want to share it. But we often allow it to be interchangeable with the notion of popular. And we often discount the virability of something because it wasn’t massively viral. A video or website can end up being viral among smaller groups too.” – The Seven Dirty Words of Online Marketing by Josh Rose

VO or Voice Over–Narration or non-synchronous dialog taking place over the action onscreen

Wipe— a transitional technique or optical effect/device in which one shot appears to be “pushed off” or “wiped off” the screen by another shot replacing it and moving across the existing image; also called a push-over; a flip-over (or flip) wipe is when one scene rotates or flips-over to the new scene; wipes were very commonly used in the 30s

Wrap— as in “that’s a wrap,” good work everyone go home.

W- White Noise–A signal having an equal amount of energy per hertz.

Wide Angle— a lens that uses a grouping of glass to enable a shorter focal length than the physical body of the lens would normally permit. In doing so, the wide angle lens can capture more of a subject from an equal distance when compared to a normal lens of the same size.

White Balance is the process of capturing the correct colors for the type of available light. Think of it as making sure the color white is always white, and doesn’t have blue or red tints. Many cameras come with a white balance menu, as well as an auto white balance feature.

XLR-– One of several varieties of sound connectors having three or more conductors plus an outer shell which shields the connectors and locks the connectors into place. (Sound)

YouTube: The second most used search engine in the world and most popular video sharing website. Shot to popularity in 2005.

YouTube Video-– Videos, usually under 10 minutes in length. That can be uploaded and displayed on YouTube at no charge.

Zebra Stripes-– These are the vibrating diagonal stripes that are superimposed on the overexposed parts of the image on a view finder or LCD screen to help filmmakers judge exposure.

Zoom— An optical effect in which the image rapidly grows larger or smaller as though the camera is moving closer or away from its subject. Optical zoom relies on the camera’s lens to bring the subject closer in the recorded video. Digital zoom does not use the lens, but rather enlarges a portion of the image digitally. While digital zoom can be more powerful than most optical zoom features, digital zoom may cause grainy images.

“Evan Adamson’s fine set is a re-creation of that seedy motel room in which King spent his last night on earth. Photos of the real room are on display in the art gallery upstairs from the theater. The TheaterWorks production offers effective work with lighting (by John Lasiter) and sound (Michael Miceli). April 3 is a stormy night, difficult for a man to whom thunder sounds like gunfire.” – NYTimes.com, April 26, 2013

Video has become vital to sharing messages and communicating effectively as a means of internal communication. It is dynamic and engaging, and highly successful at communicating a consistent message to employees on any number of devices. In a matter of seconds, a video can be spread throughout a company, getting everyone on the same page.

Corporate videos for internal communication capture employees’ attention and are an effective time saving tool. Corporate videos can be used to gain employee feedback, showcase staff expertise, share client testimonials, or even to deliver “how to” knowledge. The possibilities are endless and the cost can be relatively low.

Experts are discovering that video is more engaging to employees than an email or a long text message. Added audio and visual elements make for an even more compelling video, but are not always necessary to convey internal messages. Even the most bland messages are more captivating by seeing and hearing another human being talking to you rather than just looking at black and white text on a screen.

Because video can be seen on any number of mobile devices, it enables people to view the videos outside of work too. People out sick, on a business trip, at lunch with clients, or simply scrolling through their apps can all view the corporate video anywhere, anytime.

A few ways companies use internal videos include:

All-hands meetings

Sales kick-off meetings

Training and e-learning CEO speeches

Video newsletters

Communicating company values

Safety and compliance training

Entertainment and perks

Online video is now a part of everyday life. People are watching videos on their smartphones, tablets, PCs, and streamed onto TVs. Video is impactful and memorable and is incredibly effective in the workplace, making employees more invested and engaged in their job.

“For Children: You will need to know the difference between Friday and a fried egg. It’s quite a simple difference, but an important one. Friday comes at the end of the week, whereas a fried egg comes out of a chicken. Like most things, of course, it isn’t quite that simple. The fried egg isn’t properly a fried egg until it’s been put in a frying pan and fried. This is something you wouldn’t do to a Friday, of course, though you might do it on a Friday. You can also fry eggs on a Thursday, if you like, or on a cooker. It’s all rather complicated, but it makes a kind of sense if you think about it for a while.”
― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

It’s more than just designing a new logo. It’s more than giving your company a facelift. Rebranding is about strengthening and building upon the integrity of your business. Why not do this with photography and film?

We’ve all heard the old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And in the digital age, a visual image representing your company speaks volumes. We also know that testimonials, business-to-business referrals, and captivating visual imagery are trusted more than a cold search or one of those Yellow Page ads. But many companies miss these opportunities altogether.

Using professional photography and web video on your website creates a compelling experience for online visitors and has limitless possibilities in attracting new clients. Your rebranding efforts cross-referenced with YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, Vimeo, blogs, social media sites, and more facilitate organic online engagement and thus can drive sales, bookings, or inquiries.

Miceli Productions HD captures images.
Moving. Still. Corporate. Commercial. Emotive. Scintillating.
Contact us today and take your business to the next level.

According to recent social media studies, one of the most important ways to rank your video on the major search engines is to integrate tags on your YouTube videos. Tags are linked to keywords and help users and search engines find your videos. YouTube considers “tagging” the first step to ranking your video in search results, and once it gets ranked there, it spreads quickly to other leading search engines.

Tag Yourself – If you want search engines to rank your videos, and ultimately have potential clients find your business on the web, include brand-specific tags to your video. Many businesses forget to include their own brand name in their web site descriptions, picture captions, and video tags. Be sure that your business and brand name appear as a tag in your YouTube video. It is also beneficial to contain a few variations of your business and brand name including your web site address (i.e. Business Name, businessname, www.BusinessName.com).

Use the Auto-Suggest Tool – YouTube also has auto-suggestion capabilities. Take advantage of what YouTube suggests by typing in a few keywords in their search box to see what are the “most searched” tags. This is much like when you search Google and the Google search box gives you a few suggestions for search topics.

Use Your Competitors’ Tags – Another tip for getting ranked on YouTube and being found by clients is to go to your competitors’ videos. Search for the highest-ranked video on the same topic as your video, then see what tags and keywords competitors are using and add them to your video.

Be sure that your YouTube Channel, not just the uploaded videos, reflects relevant tags as well. Customize your entire YouTube Channel so potential clients find all of your videos and can get a stronger sense of your company’s voice and brand.

It is also critical for your videos to have applicable, as well as catchy, titles. Tags are very important, but video titles will attract clicks and greatly affect your search engine ranking.

Also, consider captions in your video. Captions open up your content to a larger audience, including deaf or hard of hearing viewers or those who speak other languages. Learn more about the benefits of captions in this YouTube video.

Video has been used as an effective way to reach the masses. Many companies are now using web videos to introduce their company and their product, and with the recent surge in social media, web video has taken on an even greater significance in reaching new and potential clients. A recent Cisco study suggests that over 37% of internet use consists of video streaming, and using web video is an essential tool to propel your company forward.

Video helps you present a consistent message EVERY time for EVERY viewer.

Less than 20% of visitors to your web site will read the text presented, yet over 80% will watch a video. Use a web video to capture your company’s essence and gain future clients within seconds. – Forrester Research

72% of viewers are more likely to purchase your product or services after watching a video. Viewers gain greater perspective and understanding of your company, and video allows you to connect emotionally and effectively demonstrate your unique service. – Wharton School of Business

Adding a video to your web site makes your site 6 times more likely to convert a casual browser to a paying customer. – Forrester Research.

Video can be highly professional and is increasingly affordable.

Miceli Productions HD is ready to create your web video. We capture images. Moving. Still. Corporate. Commercial. Emotive. Scintillating.
Contact us today and take your business to the next level.